Every Aching Wound
by myRyRy
Summary: This was a wake up call. It's time for him to grow up and become a man who can truly be strong on his own, for himself and for the woman he loves. ChuckXBlair, Post Finale
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: This was a wake up call. It is time for him to grow up and become a man who can truly be strong on his own, for himself and for the woman he loves. ChuckXBlair, Post Finale_

_Couldn't help myself, I just had to write something about the finale. This should only be two or three parts (if I stick with my plan), and I should be posting on my other story again soon. :)_

* * *

1

The first time he wakes up, he's too out of it to be anything more than confused.

There's a weight on his chest and a pain in his side and when his eyes flutter open, it's so bright he winces.

"Chuck.."

He feels fingers in his hair and he tips his head to look at the person he can feel at his side, but the angle is too much and he hisses at the sharp, stabbing pain that creeps up his side.

"Be careful," the voice gently chides, and suddenly there's brown eyes and porcelain skin and auburn curls leaning over him and everything instantly feels better.

"Blair," he tries to speak, but he's perplexed when it comes out as nothing more than a breath.

"You're okay. You're going to be fine."

His eyes flutter shut for a moment and then there's fingers in his air again.

"Just go back to sleep, Chuck. Everything is going to be alright."

He sighs in content and nods just a little in agreement and within seconds he's asleep once again.

–

The next time he wakes up, he's much more aware.

He dazedly realizes he's in a hospital. He remembers the bullet; remembers losing the ring he'd valued more than his life.

He thought he was going to die and he had accepted it. He shouldn't even be here now.

There's a hand loosely wrapped around his own and he slowly turns to see Blair sound asleep next to the bed.

He sets his jaw and his side aches from just his slight movements, but he can't bare to look away from her.

Of course his last thoughts had been about Blair. But he hadn't thought about that first time in the limo, or the day he admitted he loved her, or even the night they had after Lily and Bart's wedding. No, when he thought he was dying on the street in that alley, he didn't relive a single good memory of the two of them, but instead thought only of the last time he saw her, crying and hurting yet again because of something he had done.

He remembers thinking it made sense that he would die alone in the middle of a drug binge.

The very last thing he had thought, though, when he was sure he was dying, was how Blair Waldorf would be so much better off without Chuck Bass there to hurt her.

There's a knock at the door and leans back and shuts his eyes and pretends to be asleep as the door clicks open.

"Blair."

He immediately recognizes the voice of his step sister and feels Blairs fingers shift around his.

"Blair, wake up. You have to come back to the hotel with us tonight."

Blair's grip tightens but she says nothing.

"Come on. My mom thinks a night sleeping in an actual bed would be good for you, and I agree. You haven't left the hospital once since we got here."

Chuck's throat works with emotion as silence hangs in the room.

"B.."

"I'm not leaving, Serena," Blair suddenly snaps, and he can hear his step sister sigh in frustration before her heels start to snap against the floor until her hears the door close behind her.

The silence that hangs in the air when she leaves is deafening.

He can hear her ragged breathing next to him as she begins to fidget with his fingers and he struggles with what to do next.

He doesn't deserve her loyalty. He doesn't deserve her at his bed side after all that he's done. What he deserved was that bullet and he should still be suffering on his own.

He's suddenly so very tired and as the silence stretches on he finds himself farther and farther from pretend sleep and closer to actual sleep. The world becomes a haze as he feels her rest her forehead on his arm. The last thing he's aware of is a warm wetness against his skin.

–

The third time he wakes up, the room is cloaked in darkness.

He blinks a few times against the blackness and finally makes out her form by the window, illuminated by the city lights outside.

"Blair?" he calls out, his voice thick and rough in his throat.

She turns to face him and he can see her eyes glisten with unshed tears and he feels ill. She doesn't speak, just silently crosses the room and settles back in the chair she's been in this whole time and looks at the ground as he studies her profile in the dim light.

He's over come with guilt. He's so mad at himself and he's so sorry he's hurt her again. He wants to apologize for making her cry again, maybe even for surviving and dragging her back into his mess up life again, but his lips won't move.

"I thought you were dead," she suddenly explains, her pained tone ripping him from his thoughts and tearing him to his core. She shakes her head to herself. "I got the call from Lily that you were shot and I thought that was it. You were dead and I was never going to see you again."

Her gaze suddenly meets his and her tears catch the light and shine as they roll silently down her cheeks, each one another weight on his chest.

"I was so _mad_ at you for leaving me like that," she admits, her voice trembling. "You're _Chuck Bass_. You're supposed to fight and kick and scream and never back down, but you just gave up."

He frowns. "I didn't give up, Blair. I fought with all I had when they took the ri-"

"But you did," she interrupts him. "You gave up on me and us and on yourself. You spent practically the entire last month on a coke binge, and when everything got too hard again, you ran away to go on yet another bender in the middle of a city where you know no one, just like you always do."

She sniffles and he has to look away, it's too much.

"You almost died, alone and high on the street and I don't even know how it got to this point," she wonders aloud tearfully.

He feels her fingers loop through his and he finds himself gazing right back into her beautiful, sad eyes.

"You need help, Chuck."

He swallows against the emotion in his throat and his eyes glaze over instantly, because she's completely right. He's a mess.

He opens his mouth to respond but he's interrupted by a knock at the door and the arrival of a man who is apparently the doctor who saved his life. The doctor immediately launches into a speech about stitches and scar tissue and surgery, but he can't seem to concentrate on any of it. All he knows is that Blair's hand never leaves his and the good doctor injects him with a fresh batch of painkillers before he leaves.

His eyelids quickly droop shut, her warm lips on his forehead helping to lull him into a heavy, dreamless the sleep.

–

When he wakes up again, the room is empty.

There's a grey, dull light streaming through the window and all he can hear is the rain slowly dripping against the glass.

Chuck sweeps his gaze around the room hopefully, but when he realizes just how alone he is, his stomach drops.

He groans and tries to move and push himself up to sit but a stabbing pain suddenly shoots up his side and he crumbles in agony.

"Woah, be careful, man."

He jumps at the voice and suddenly there are large hands on his shoulders, helping him back down on the bed.

"Nathaniel," he grates out through clenched teeth, his hand going to press against his bandaged wound. "Finally come to pay your respects, have you?"

"I came as soon as I heard what happened, Chuck. Everyone did."

He looks away from his friend and bites his lip against the burning ache in his side.

"You had us all worried, man," Nate informs him before leaning forward in his seat. "What even happened?"

Chuck rolls his eyes. "I got mugged and the son of a bitch shot me when I tried to fight back. It's not rocket science, Nathaniel."

The blonder boy scowls. "But you're a billionaire; why the hell would you fight back? You could have died."

"It wasn't about the money," he snaps in frustration, not wanting to be reminded of his own mortality again. "It was because they took Blair's ring."

"Blair's ring?" Nate wonders dumbly, his mouth dropping open as his mind slowly puts together the pieces. "You mean… you proposed?" he asks, his tone letting Chuck know he thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever.

"No, I didn't propose, Nathaniel," Chuck barks back, annoyed, before letting out a sigh and conceding. "I didn't get the chance before Humphrey ran in and sucker punched me."

Nate stares at his best friend in disbelief. "Wow."

Chuck nods and rubs his palm against his side. "Don't tell her about it, okay?"

Nate's eyes widen slightly and he begins fidgeting with his fingers, "Of course, I won't tell her anything," he assures his friend, before biting his lip and continuing, "because I couldn't if I wanted to. She left."

His brow furrows in confusion. "She left? What do you mean she left?"

"I mean her and Serena left about an hour ago to catch their flight back to Paris."

"What?" Chuck questions dumbly, instantly pushing himself up again and ignoring the horrific pain in his side. "She's just gone?"

Nate nods slowly, patting his friend empathetically on the back. "I'm sorry, man."

He drops his head and takes a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I really messed up," Chuck admits helplessly. "I ruined everything and then I just.." he trails off and shakes his head at himself. "I don't blame her for leaving. Just because I got hurt, doesn't change the fact that I hurt her first. It doesn't change how I acted or what I did."

Nate eyes him sympathetically and reaches in to his pocket. "She asked me to give you something before she left, though."

Chuck frowns in confusion and hesitantly holds his hand out, expecting a note. But his heart races when a tiny gold charm falls into his palm.

"She told me to tell you it's important that you get better on your own."

He stares transfixed on the little heart in his hand and sets his jaw and it's all he can do not to cry in front of his friend. That tiny charm gives him more confidence and courage than he's felt since everything fell apart between him and Blair. He hears his friend get up from his side and start to leave, and he comes to brave, albeit quick, decision.

"Nate," he calls, stopping the other boy in his tracks "Do you think you could do something for me?"

"Anything, man."

Chuck takes a deep breath and closes his fingers tight and protective around Blair's heart. "I need you to call the Ostroff Center for me. I want to be able to check in as soon as I get back to New York."

"Are you sure?"

Chuck simply nods, his jaw set in determination, and ignores the look of shock on his friends face as he easies his wounded body back down against the sheets.

This was a wake up call; the bullet, the heart. It is time for him to grow up and become a man who can truly be strong on his own, for himself and for the woman he loves.

* * *

_TBC... Please let me know what you think, feedback is greatly appreciated..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Summary: This was a wake up call. It is time for him to grow up and become a man who can truly be strong on his own, for himself and for the woman he loves. ChuckXBlair, Post Finale_

_Just some fluffy-ness I guess, I don't really know what to make of this. :P Thanks for the reviews on the first part! Sorry this part took so long, but let me know what you think! :) I should have some stuff for my other story up relatively soon._

* * *

Blair bursts through the front door, her cheeks flush with laughter and her best friend at her side.

"Oh my god, S. I can't believe you gave that guy your number."

"What? He was hot."

"He was a cashier, Serena," she admonishes.

Serena simply shrugs and smiles, and something about it has Blair shaking her head and dissolving into giggles all over again.

This summer had turned out to be exactly what she needed. She had gotten a chance to get away and be carefree and completely drama-less for once. She had shopped at the most extravagant French shops, tanned on beautiful French beaches, and dined on the most exquisite French cuisine day in and day out, and she honestly couldn't feel more relaxed and recharged.

The only thing marring this summer was how it started in that hospital in Prague. She honestly hadn't been able to get her ex and his well-being out of the back of her mind at all these past few months. She felt so guilty at first for leaving him like that that she was absolutely sick with herself, but she knew she couldn't have stayed. If she had, nothing would have changed. She needed this time on her own, and she wasn't lying when she told Nate that Chuck had to get better on his own. He needed to be able to be strong on his own for himself, otherwise he'd be right back there at some point, hurt and dying with no one there to help him, just like she's always feared he would end up every time he had disappeared since they were fourteen.

She hopes he understands why she left him, but she just isn't sure she knows what he's thinking anymore. All she knows for sure is that Chuck had spent two weeks in that hospital and then gone back to New York, and that was almost three months ago and he hadn't even tried to contact her once. She's pretty sure Gossip Girl is littered with posts of his nights out with model after model, but she can't know for sure since she and Serena unsubscribed the second they'd landed in France.

The two girls quickly drop their shopping bags in the foyer, close the door against the setting sun outside, and make their way into the chateau.

"Daddy, we're back," she calls out, her tone full of joy as it echoes off the walls.

She can hear voices as they approach the living area and can smell the feast Roman had promised in honor of their last weekend in France and her smile widens in anticipation of seeing her family. They turn the corner into the room and immediately both girls come to a screeching halt.

"Chuck?" she hears Serena question dumbly at her side as she suddenly she feels like she can't breathe.

There, sitting with her father and Roman, politely drinking tea, is her ex-boyfriend who is supposed to be off chasing prostitutes on the other side of the world.

All conversation in the room suddenly stops and Chuck's hazel eyes instantly meet hers from across the room and all she's aware of is him and the fluttering ache in her chest. He sets down his cup and stands and as she studies him, she can't deny that he looks good. He is, of course, dressed impeccably in a perfectly pressed grey suit, a pale blue and lilac button down, and a purple paisley bow tie, but there's something beyond that that's so intriguing. He seems to stand taller, his jaw set stronger, and his eyes much more clear.

She can feel everyone's eyes on her, waiting for her to do something or say something or at least have some sort of reaction, but she can't seem to anything but stare.

Luckily, Serena steps forward, breaking the tension in a way only she can, and crosses the room to hug him. She is moderately aware of her best friend gushing over how great he looks and how glad she is to see him out of a hospital, but she can't seem to really process any of it when he still doesn't take his gaze away from hers from over Serena's shoulder. The two pull apart and once again there's a tension that hangs in the air.

"We'll leave you two alone to talk," her father quietly declares, looking between the two of them, before leading everyone else from the room, patting her gently on the shoulder on his way out.

Once they're alone, he takes a confident step towards her and his lips part and he breathes out "Blair" and she realizes she missed the way he said her name. All the air rushes from her lungs in one heavy breath and she bites her lip and it's all she can do to stop herself from crying, because she'd missed him and she had worried about him, and now he is here and he seems fine and it's all too much.

He steps forward again and she quickly takes a step back in uncertainty, but his face doesn't show any signs of hurt or nerves and he doesn't seem weary of her silence at all. Instead he lets his gaze roam her body and he smiles in appreciation of what he sees.

"How did you manage to get even more beautiful since the last time I saw you, Waldorf?"

Her cheeks flush slightly at the compliment, but the longer he stands in front of her, the more confused she feels. "What are you doing here?" she questions uneasily, suddenly finding her voice.

The smile falls from his lips and he quickly grows serious. "I came to apologize," he tells her confidently. "Everything I did, all the pain I caused you; you didn't deserve any of that. You were right when you said all you ever did was love me, but I didn't really appreciate that until you were gone."

"Chuck.." she begins with a sigh.

"I know I've given you this speech before," he interrupts before she can start to protest, "and you have no reason to believe me after what happened last time. I still can't take anything back, and I probably shouldn't even promise I'll make it up to you again because I doubt you would believe that. All I can do is show you that I'm trying to change and I'm trying to be better, so that maybe someday you will give me another chance."

She's still unsure and can only watch as he crosses the few feet between them and reaches into his pocket. She expects him to pull out jewelry, or possibly plane tickets home, or maybe even a card, but she never expects him to present her with a small, round piece of plastic. He holds it out to her and she accepts it, curiously eyeing the cheap, red plastic with the number ninety written on it in faux gold lettering.

"What is this?" she asks as she meets his eyes, intrigued.

"That is my ninety day chip; ninety days sober as of yesterday morning."

"What?"

He nods in confirmation, confidently holding her astonished gaze.

She studies him in total shock; she can't really even believe he's here and she definitely can't believe he's sober. She bites her lip and tightens her grip around the small piece of plastic. "Chuck, I… I.." she trails off and shakes her head at herself, because she just doesn't even know what to say.

He moves so close to her she can feel his warmth on her skin and her heart instantly quickens. "I love you, Blair, and I know that we're inevitable. Maybe I took that for granted before, but I'm never going to do that again. Give me a chance and I'll show you how much I appreciate you and how much you mean to me."

Her brown eyes glaze over the more that he speaks, practically begging, and the fluttering in her stomach grows so intense she can't stand it anymore. It's like a totally different man is standing before her than the one she left three months ago. Suddenly her arms are around his neck, hugging him as tightly to her as she can, and in an instant he's holding her back just as firmly. It feels so familiar and comfortable that her tears finally slip from beneath her long lashes and slide down her cheek and onto his neck as he buries his lips in her hair.

She pulls back to study him and he runs the pad of his thumb against her cheek, wiping away her tears, as his hazel eyes meet hers. On impulse she leans forward, deciding to follow her heart once again, and kisses him. It's hesitant and slow and warm and melts into something so powerful and passionate that it leaves her breathless with her toes curling inside her heels.

"Does this mean we're back together?" he asks with a small smirk against her lips.

She laughs a little through her fading tears and shakes her head. "This means we'll take things slow and see what happens."

His smile widens before he leans in to kiss her.

She pulls back and bites her tingling lip. Pulling her arm from around him, she holds up the red chip he had given her between them. "As long as this isn't something you did just to win me back."

"Not at all," he instantly refutes. His hold around her slackens and his brow furrows in seriousness. "I was a complete mess. I needed to wake up and stop it all, and that's what I'm doing." Absently, he shakes his head before sighing. "I always knew I would end up in rehab one day, I just thought I'd go because I OD'd, not because I was shot."

She frowns and runs her fingers along his strong jaw. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"Don't be. You were right; I needed to get better on my own."

She nods quickly, her gaze dropping to his chest and then to where she knows his wound is. "And you are all better, right?"

"Completely fine," he assures her, pulling her to him once again and pressing his lips to her forehead. "Clean bill of health since the day I left Prague."

Resting her head against his chest, she takes comfort in the steady beat of his heart against her ear. "I didn't leave the hospital once the first week you were there," she quietly admits, "but when the doctors assured me you were going to be fine, I didn't know what to do. I was still mad at you, but seeing you in that hospital bed, just reminded me all over again how much I love you. I mean, if you wouldn't have been okay, Chuck, I.." She sniffles and holds him tight. "I didn't want to leave you, but I felt like I had to."

"I know," he simply breathes, rubbing his hands comfortingly against her back.

"Blair?"

Both Chuck and Blair immediately turn in the direction the voice, their eyes landing on her father standing hesitantly in the hallway.

"Dinner is ready, sweetheart."

Chuck fidgets and pulls away from Blair.

"Okay, Daddy," she smiles for him, wiping her moist cheeks.

"We set up a seat for you as well, Charles, if you'd like to join us."

He smiles and nods politely. "Thank you, Harold."

"We'll be in a minute." She reaches for Chuck's hand as her father heads back to the kitchen. "Slow," she reminds him, determinedly, as he placed a kiss on her palm.

"For you, Waldorf, I can do slow," he grins as she leads him towards the kitchen and threads their fingers together.

–––

He wakes up in the middle of the night as the bed shifts behind him.

He blinks away the sleep from his eyes and squints into the dim guest room. He rolls over, surprised to see Blair, illuminated by the moonlight, slipping under the covers next to him.

"I thought you said we were gonna take things slow," he drawls tiredly, a lazy smile on his lips.

"We are," she assures him with a grin. "We're just going to sleep."

"Oh, I see how it is," he jokes with a yawn, his arms wrapping around her.

She snuggles into him and sighs into content. Her fingers brush against his bare chest and hit something small, and metallic. Curiously she wraps her hand around it, and when the light hits it, she can feel her heart catch in her throat. There, hanging from a long, gold chain around Chuck's neck, is her heart pin.

His eyes drift shut and he's already begun to slip into the most peaceful sleep he's had in months, when he feels her whole body suddenly shift and she quickly presses against his shoulders and pushes him onto his back. He opens his eyes to see her straddle him, her dark brown curls falling all around him as she leans down and surprises him again with a deep, emotional kiss.

"Blair.." he breathes, confused and suddenly completely awake.

He doesn't protest as she simply kisses him again, her fingers tangling comfortingly in his hair, just like she had done in the hospital. He kisses her back hard at the memory, flipping them over so he is on top. He pulls back just enough to study her, his heart hammering in his chest as she looks up at him like he's everything to her. He places a small kiss on the tip of her nose, and his stomach flutters at the way her grip tightens on him, trying desperately to pull him closer.

"I love you."

He can't help the elated grin that spreads on his lips and he kisses her as passionately as he has in him.

"I love you, too," he confesses, and when he sees the matching smile that forms across her pouty pink lips, he knows that no matter what happens, they will be okay.

"Just for tonight, maybe we can forget slow."

* * *

_Feedback is appreciated.. :)_


End file.
